STONEBWOY: From Ghana with love

Is this your first time in Kenya?

Time has to be right for things to happen. What brought me here was Coke Studio, and I’m really appreciative of that fact. This is the first of many times that I will be coming to Kenya. 

Is there anywhere you would like to visit while here?

Definitely. The game parks are on my radar, and other natural endowments that Kenya has to offer. I would also like to see the other East African countries. Personally, I believe Kenya is the proper entrance to East Africa. 

Does that mean you’ve never been to East Africa before?

I’ve been to Ethiopia, but I’m giving the props to Kenya. 

Have you started working on the mash ups and live performance?

Yeah, I’m working with Haile Roots from Ethiopia and we met yesterday. We’ve been to the studio doing interviews and recording. We listened to each other’s songs and we’re building up strategies. I’ve been stripping down his Amharic lyrics to understand them better. So it’s been interesting. 

Are you having communication difficulties due to language differences?

Not necessarily, because we all speak English. Well, he speaks very good English, while I speak English as well (laughs). 

What went through your mind when you won a BET award?

Shout out to Sauti Sol, my brothers who were with me at the time. First of all, I am one artiste who appreciates nominations even more because, if you’re five artistes picked from thousands for an award that can only be won by one, the joy is in being acknowledged. Then to hear my name mentioned, I was like “Things have gone down well” because people voted to show support; that they want this person to win. They believed in my thing and they cast their votes behind me. The award has thrown enough light on what I do, the style of music I do: Afro beats, reggae, dancehall. I’ve got collaborations all across the continent and some opportunities in the US. 

Do you carry the award with you everywhere? Anything weird we should know about you and that BET award trophy?

(Laughs) No, no. It’s sitting right in my home. It makes me happy but I believe it brings more joy to the persons who support and follow my music. There’s an adage in my country that literally translates to: “The salt doesn’t praise itself”. I can only keep it in my house for them. Besides, it’s heavy and would cost more on air travel if I took it with me everywhere. 

What influences the lyrics to your songs?

When I write lyrics, I tend to give them deeper meaning. There are people out there who listen to more than just the melodies and the rhythm and would want to strip it down to the lyrics and the message. I always post my lyrics after releasing any song, so that people learn the lyrics and share the concept with me. I believe every song has a story to tell; it doesn’t matter if it’s a fun song. Even if I just put in a verse, I make sure my lyrics tickle the mind; even if it’s just word play. I believe that also helps me grow. 

Do you think the video you put on Facebook of a fan picking you over another (seasoned) artiste from Ghana, was misunderstood, based on the reaction on social media?

Exactly! I’m not even bothered because this is what the industry entails. People will always read different meanings from whatever you do. I am very intelligent and I know what I’m driving at. There are a million opinions to one thing, which is allowed, but my caption is meant to show you my opinion. I don’t disagree with you absolutely because you have a point, so why do you want to disagree with me absolutely? That’s why I wrote: “You don’t know who’s watching. Just do the best of you, because even walls have ears and even the blind can see”. 

Which Kenyan artiste(s) would you like to work with?

Sauti Sol and I started working on something when they came to Ghana and we’re supposed to complete it while I’m here. We’re still working to find time through the schedules, but that shouldn’t be a problem. I listen widely, but apart from a couple of East African artistes, the only other Kenyan artiste I know and have respected for a very long time is, Wyre the Love Child. I know there are many powerful Kenyan artistes that I will have to discover while I’m here, because outside the country what you see is what you know. 

How do you like performing during your concerts?

All my live performances have either been with the band playing, or simply instrumentals playing raw by a deejay. Playback tracks don’t go well with my vocals, and I also like being spontaneous. So if I feel like doing a different ad lib to the one on the original track, I can. I also sometimes switch up the verses, and perform third verse as the first, so I’d get confused if I left anything in the back other than instrumentals. Sometimes I’m even communicating with fans on the beat. 

Are you going to be performing in Kenya now that you’ve already broken ground here?

Everything takes time and I’m so looking forward to that, but you can’t rush it. While in Kenya, I’ll be communicating with a couple of people on trying to set up a proper Stone Bwoy show at a later date. 

What’s going on with your dressing style right now?

I just love to go free, I don’t like to do too much. I love gold, you know gold doesn’t fade. I’m a huge fan of Hublot watches. This gold pyramid means a lot to me — Africa’s significance and power, the beginning of us, technology and civilisation. This Versace is also all gold; you can see it’s catching dirt.